Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

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I saw this on United's Facebook today - "Let us know in the comments below if you guys want to see more Hobbit/LOTR content! If not then give us some suggestions! We'd love to hear them!!"
https://www.facebook.com/unitedcutlery/

Strange wording, but it sounds like they are asking for input on what to make next. I saw several requests for Guthwine already, and several for a re-release of Gimlis axes. For those of you on Facebook, let them know.
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3553
Valkrist wrote: Are you asking about how big the edition size was in the event it was a limited run item; how many (if all) of that run were made; or how many were manufactured in total even if not a limited item?

I can't remember if it was limited/numbered, and I can't check mine any time soon.
I mean, they're numbered. How many were made? Is mine 354 of 2000? Or 3000. Or did they just make a bunch and say, "Hey, write some numbers on them real quick."
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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3554
Assuming you mean non-limited items, UC has never had a system to release that kind of info to the public, and I'm not sure they ever will. Occasionally the rep may say how many were produced in the last production run, but I'm not sure the reps have access to all the past production history. Serial numbering was tracked at the factory back when I ran product development at the old UC.
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3555
Nasnandos wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:43 am I saw this on United's Facebook today - "Let us know in the comments below if you guys want to see more Hobbit/LOTR content! If not then give us some suggestions! We'd love to hear them!!"
https://www.facebook.com/unitedcutlery/

Strange wording, but it sounds like they are asking for input on what to make next. I saw several requests for Guthwine already, and several for a re-release of Gimlis axes. For those of you on Facebook, let them know.
I'm not on Facebook so I can't add to the comments, but realistically what does this mean? Besides re-issues of older items, what new items can really be considered? Any item that was physically in hand or owned by Kit or any potential item that Weta still has a copy of? Swords, bows, shields and helmets? If so there are a few I'd love to see made. Mostly items we have all mentioned (Guthwine, Legolas's bows, Faramir's sword, 3rd Ringwraith sword, Lothlorien daggers just to name a few).

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

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As far as my involvement, anything I had or still have, or anything I have the prop master photos off, which is quite a lot of props. Weta and PJ will not loan out props, so that is not an option. I never had the Lothlorien Hobbit knives, nor any decent prop photos of them, so those are unlikely.

Guthwine is probably next as far as swords go, but they need to know if people are really still interested in it.
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3558
JJ - I know what you mean now but I still have no answer. It's weird when they slap a number on something but don't tell you why it is serialized because there is no second "out of" number. I could be wrong but I don't think the Regal Sword is the only UC replica to suffer from this oddity.

On the UC Facebook thing, I share N2's skepticism on the whole thing. I mean, it's been nearly 20 years since the first three movies came out, yet how many times do we need to tell them we want Guthwine? Instead of asking such a broad and vague question, what they really should do is list about five items that they would seriously consider doing if there were enough interest (and they have access to the props and/or photos), then ask collectors which one... or three... they would be interested in. This would narrow the focus and eliminate the number of requests that we know are going to be for obscure things, like the infamous Museum Collection Rusty Meat Cleaver, belonging to Orc #8374. :huh:
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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

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Valkrist wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:55 am .... This would narrow the focus and eliminate the number of requests that we know are going to be for obscure things, like the infamous Museum Collection Rusty Meat Cleaver, belonging to Orc #8374. :huh:
omg, ROFL...... the MC RMC rises again...that was funny then (pathetically so) and it is funny now (pathetically so) because regardless of what folks beg UC to produce, it too often turns out to be the RMC, or its kin.

"Give us some suggestions [as long as it's the RMC!]"

So, do I risk losing my anonymity to go on FB to let UC know what I/we want......hmmmm....

"Eternity is an awful long time, especially towards the end."

"What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing.
It also depends on what sort of person you are.” -- CSL

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

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Hasn't this happened multiple times in the past? Random Facebook admin from UC/Budk posting a poll or open question about LOTR/Hobbit replicas with absolutely no connection to development? I feel like each time we have this exact discussion. 'How serious are they?' 'Does this person have any authority to ask this?' I recall the last time pretty well, as I'm sure several people here do.

It's things like this that irritate me about UC. I won't hold my breath that this will result in anything, but I'll throw my vote for Guthwine. As I always do.

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

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Wow. I suppose memories are short. I recall the one and only time they did this before - back in 2014. I tallied the results myself. Most of the requests were for reissues. That list, along with other online requests, drove all the reissues - around 15 items as I recall. They literally reissued everything they were asked to except 3 or 4 items that were not possible.

The top requests for new LOTR items were Sauron's mace, Guthwine, Aeglos, and Legolas Lorien Bow.
Saurons mace was made
Aeglos could not be made in steel - and I tried every way I could think of
The Legolas Bow was started then put on hold because none of the bows released at the time had sold very well
Guthwine was slated as the next LOTR sword, but poor sales of the Herugrim re-release, and the fact that LOTR/Hobbit sales dropped off the face of the earth around that time, put it on hold.

Now interest and sales in LOTR is slowly starting to creep back up because of the tv series buzz, so they are gauging interest again. Looks like there is very little, at least from the Facebook crowd.
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3564
Memory does play tricks on us, plus we don't have the connection and history with UC that you do, Kit. That's why we need you around to hammer us with the facts and keep us on the straight and narrow. Thanks for your patience, I'm sure it gets frustrating after a while. :laugh:

In our defense though, and unless I am seriously misremembering this, wasn't there an instance where someone from BudK posted a picture of Guthwine and was asking people if they knew what that sword was? This was shortly after Indy announced his Guthwine project (which was in 2014 - coincidentally?) and most people felt that it was a bit of a disingenuous tease based on trying to undermine that project with a promise of a sword release that was never realized. Now that you mention that 2014 is when UC polled us but Guthwine was not made due to Herugrim selling poorly, I see now that maybe that was just part of UC trying to gauge interest in Guthwine and it really had nothing to do with Indy. It was just the timing that made people suspicious, made worse by the fact that Guthwine never came out. It did feel like a horrible tease and now we're having a PTSD episode of 'once bitten, twice shy.' :'(
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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

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I just wish that it was a little more formal instead of a social media poll. It would be nice to have UC take further interest and as Val had said list some options that they might consider or a way for others besides(Facebook) to offer there votes. I'm super grateful to have Sauron's mace in my collection and at this point I'm just happy that we might be getting some new replicas from LOTR. It is sad though that they are weighing the sales from the Hobbit items as the same as LOTR especially when it comes to the bows. I'm almost certain any LOTR bows will outsell anything from the Hobbit, just look at the secondary market for the Lothlorien / Mirkwood bows. Even though they are both from Middle Earth, the movies/properties are vastly different and you have a divided fanbase just like Star Wars. If you make something in high demand or even obscure from the original trilogy you'll have a higher chance of a product doing better IMO.

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

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My thoughts exactly, N2.

Facebook is a good first step to get the word out, but it should then lead to some form of more involved customer input via a questionaire or poll on UC's official site rather than the usual chaos of random comments on a FB thread. Still, it's better than nothing and if that's all they'll give us, then everyone should make an effort to ask for something.

I asked my wife to use her FB account and made my requests while pointing out that it was unfair to deny us Guthwine based on poor sales of the Herugrim re-release. Sales were never going to be high on a sword that most collectors already own from the previous run. Not being one of the big three (Sting, Glamdring, and Anduril), I'm not surprised Herugrim floundered because it is more of a niche sword, but when 90% of the collector base made an effort to pick up the original run, the reissue was always going to flop. That is an unfair gauge for a brand new, never released sword, which an overwhelming number of people seem to want.
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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

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Sidenote, the last Herugrim shipment also suffered the reissue Boromir sword issue. Stitching on one side, trademarks the other. UC and casual collectors dont care, but I've passed over a few reissues for that alone. Seems like when they resurrect something, it eventually gets botched in some way. Other collectors I've spoken with tend to frown and lean for originals that didnt suffer such issues. Word travels in collectors communities as well. So as soon as " they messed up again!" gets tossed around, interests falls as well I'd think. But I agree, if interest or sales waned it shouldn't automatically rule out other projects.
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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3569
3 separate ME FB posts by UC now. Same people posting the same things in all three, so it's a bit of a mess, but Guthwine is definitely still at the top, then Gimli axe reissues, then the Legolas Lothlorien and Mirkwood bows. Lots of requests for a reissue of the Isildur sword too. Aeglos and the Sword of Sauron, are below those, and past that the requests are a bit of anything and everything.
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3570
Nasnandos wrote: Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:59 am 3 separate ME FB posts by UC now. Same people posting the same things in all three, so it's a bit of a mess, but Guthwine is definitely still at the top, then Gimli axe reissues, then the Legolas Lothlorien and Mirkwood bows. Lots of requests for a reissue of the Isildur sword too. Aeglos and the Sword of Sauron, are below those, and past that the requests are a bit of anything and everything.
All sounds good to hear to me as I'd buy all of them, but Sauron's sword is always a strange one to bring up as you never see him with it and is only on screen for a half a second in the Witchking armory sceen. Cool design non the less.

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3572
Kit, is that cost analysis for the Sauron sword or the Denethor sword? Sorry, just trying to clarify. I can live without the Sauron sword; it means nothing to me as Sauron only used the mace in the movies. The Denethor sword makes more sense in my mind because it can actually be seen on the character in a few stills from ROTK. I believe they are from the scene when Denethor rushes out to meet the dying Faramir as he is brought up to the Citadel. Not sure if the scene in the movie was reshot without the sword. He definitely never wears the shield.

Guthwine FTW! :horseback
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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3573
As I said a couple of posts up, I never had a Denethor sword prop. I did not even know Denethor had a sword until ROTK came out, and by then it was too late to get a prop. We would not have gotten one even if it was possible. A few second of the thin side of the hilt is all that is seen in ROTK, and not many people even liked Denethor, or Boromir for that matter, when the films were released. That changed over time and with the release of the extended editions.
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3574
I did catch the fact you never had the Denethor sword prop; was thinking though that perhaps you had managed to do some preliminary designs using CAD and just reference photos. Is that even feasible? Would you (and UC) ever entertain the idea of releasing a replica based on photos alone or does the licensing agreement (and practical design considerations and accuracy) require that a physical prop be on hand?
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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3575
I have done plenty or replicas based on photos alone, including for LOTR, but that's not my preference. I have enough reference to do Denethor's sword and get the shape 85-90% accurate, but that's not my preference either.

I'm not so sure people would like the hilt detail if they saw it up close. The engraving is really sloppy in the cross guard and pommel, and it's not even symmetrical. It's kind of what I imagine the Pakistan knockoff of a LOTR sword looks like. That's not a slam against Weta. It was probably never intended to be seen up close. It's the same situation with the engraving on Faramir's sword. It looks like someone drew it on with a fat metallic gold marker - because they did.
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KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3578
Well, Sting was my very first LOTR replica and I think it turned out great. Better than the Noble version, which was actor scale.

In other news and according to their recent post, it seems that aside from Legolas' Mirkwood bow, UC is not really interested in listening to us and would rather continue recycling old products. The other choices are Anduril, Hadhafang, and Sting. This is extremely disappointing and makes me wonder why they bother asking us. I find the inclusion of the bow surprising since Kit mentioned the previous bows were not good sellers. Maybe it's because it had already been under consideration at one point recently and thus some design work is already completed? Still, it feels like an attempt at throwing us a bone and we'll still end up seeing another rehash of something old. :'(
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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3582
Let us just hope the packaging is better than the past couple. If UC spent 5% more on packaging they wouldn't have to have me sending back 50-70% of their resin items. There is no way all that shipping and time is worth an extra couple dollars initially.
"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend."

Decide what to defend your castle with at www.castlekon.com

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3584
Not having a dealer account I can't speak for those that do and the amount of returns they deal with, but I find the UC packaging remains quite decent and sturdy to this day, with the notable exception of the Mirkwood Polearm, which came wrapped in what amounted to a couple of wet napkins. You're always going have some issues with very long items, but I prefer a bit of risk on the shipping of the current staves than having them come in a smaller box and in two screw-on pieces like the older staves. :huh:
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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

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Nasnandos wrote: Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:47 am Did you have issues with the pipe staff packaging? If so, I can bring it up the next time I meet with UC.
I did. It wasn't as bad as others, but I had 2/5 break on me.

It was particularly in the middle, the cracked in half.
"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend."

Decide what to defend your castle with at www.castlekon.com

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3588
Hmm. Not sure that had anything to do with the packaging then. Probably more of a polyresin shrinkage issue.

Other than the very first Hobbit staff, which did not have sufficient packaging, I don't remember anything poly from UC coming to me broken from shipping. I had a couple of broken Dain war hammers, but I'm positive that was a poly shrinkage/expansion issue, not shipping.
KRDS

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3590
From BUDK I had 4 or 4 Regal Swords arrive cracked.
1 of 2 Dain Helms cracked.
At that point I was so hesitant about resin that ordering Dain's hammer was the last jump I made. It made it in tact. But the overall experience made me think the staffs were a bad idea. I just have bad luck though. I'll order the upcoming staff tho, I should have at least 1.

Heck I just packed up my hammer and helm back up and assumed the prolly cracked taping the styrofoam back together lol. Just my experience with the stuff though.
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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3591
Hey Kit quick question.
I broke out my other Fili sword for some video, and realized though similar, the finishes differ:

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpfTWNq ... jhw03c010c

Once is smooth, and the other looks like it has pitting. Is this from like, molds wearing out, or the acid etching, orrrrrrrr ........... other cools manufacturing stuff I don't know about? I kinda like the pitted one more now that I've noticed. I may hang it up instead of the smoother one I was displaying. Thank you!
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Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3594
JJByers wrote: Mon Oct 15, 2018 8:17 am Hey Kit quick question.
I broke out my other Fili sword for some video, and realized though similar, the finishes differ:

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpfTWNq ... jhw03c010c

Once is smooth, and the other looks like it has pitting. Is this from like, molds wearing out, or the acid etching, orrrrrrrr ........... other cools manufacturing stuff I don't know about? I kinda like the pitted one more now that I've noticed. I may hang it up instead of the smoother one I was displaying. Thank you!

I’m not Kit, but I believe that Fili and Kili’s swords were acid etched like the Morgul Blade and that is the reason for the difference in the blade texture between the two models you own.

Kit would be able to confirm for sure though, but I don’t think etching details would transfer in the molds for the blades.
"All those moments will be lost, in time... like tears, in the rain..."

Re: United Cutlery's - The Hobbit - Movie Props!

3595
The Kili and Fili blades were lost wax cast, so that raw pitted surface finish was slightly different from piece to piece. That's just the way they look right out of the molds. There was some etched surface texturing added, but as I recall that was only to cover rectangular mold gate marks that were ground smooth in certain spots, not the entire blade. There was also a big difference in the surface finish from the first Kili/Fili runs and later runs because the wax mold masters were re-made to change the mold gate locations.
KRDS

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